Auburn man charged with drunken driving in fatal I-290 crash

Wednesday

Nov 14, 2012 at 6:00 AMNov 14, 2012 at 2:31 PM

By Aaron Nicodemus Telegram & Gazette Staff and Sean Mensah SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM & GAZETTE

An Auburn man was arraigned yesterday on charges of motor vehicle homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol for an accident on Interstate 290 early Sunday morning that left a Connecticut man dead.

Keith M. Leblanc Jr., 26, of 25 Barbara Ave., Auburn, was ordered held on $20,000 cash bail at his arraignment in Central District Court yesterday. Bail was later reduced to $12,500 in a subsequent bail hearing in Superior Court.

At the district court arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Travers said Mr. Leblanc was driving a black Jeep on Interstate 290 in Auburn at 4:30 a.m. Sunday when he rear-ended a Nissen bread truck. That truck was being driven by Duane Race, 45, of Putnam, according to the police report.

Mr. Race was thrown 80 to 100 feet from his vehicle, landing in the middle of the highway, according to the police report. A passer-by, described in the police report as an Army medic, tried to revive him.

Mr. Race was rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus in Worcester with critical injuries, including a head injury. A spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Mr. Race died at the hospital yesterday.

Witnesses said that the Jeep, which rear-ended the bread truck and forced it to crash into the guardrail, never stopped after the accident. Witnesses said the Jeep was heavily damaged, emitting smoke and leaking fluids.

Auburn police, helped in part by a trail of leaking fluids from the Jeep, followed the trail to Mr. Leblanc’s home in Auburn.

When interviewed by police, Mr. Leblanc admitted he had been driving at the time of the accident, and said he had consumed “two to three” alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel. He failed a field sobriety test administered by police when he could not stand on one foot without swaying. Mr. Leblanc refused to take a walking field sobriety test outside his home, and refused to take a Breathalyzer test at the state police barracks in Holden.

In addition to two charges of motor vehicle homicide — one by driving under the influence of alcohol, and the other by negligent driving — Mr. Leblanc was charged with leaving the scene of an accident that caused personal injury or death; using a motor vehicle in commission of a felony; driving under the influence of alcohol, and a number of moving violations.

Attorney Michael C. Wilcox, representing Mr. Leblanc, told the court that Mr. Leblanc is a 2005 graduate of Bay Path Regional Technical High School in Charlton and is employed at Johnstone Supply, and has another job, working a total of 60 to 70 hours a week.

“He’s a hard-working young man, beloved by his family and friends, many of whom are in the courtroom today,” Mr. Wilcox said.

He said Mr. Leblanc suffered a head injury in the accident, and that he should not have been allowed to take the field sobriety tests that police administered to him in front of Mr. Leblanc’s house.

“This was a tragedy, an accident that occurred,” Mr. Wilcox said.

At times in court yesterday, Mr. Leblanc appeared emotional, as he looked over at his family and friends seated in the courtroom.

After the arraignment, his family and friends declined to comment.

Mr. Leblanc, should he post the $12,500 bail, would have to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet, report weekly to the Probation Department, remain drug- and alcohol-free, and submit to random screenings for drugs and alcohol.